Here are the details. In an update, Laden doubles down, concluding that I am a “denialist.” I’ve already called myself a “recovering denialist” in another context, so it’s not the label that irks. It’s the logic:

In the update, Laden completely misses that we agree on the climate change basics. And he seems to miss the point that nearly all policy-relevant questions are dependent on understanding the pace of sea-level rise or warming, not the simple fact that both are occurring.

Laden labels me a “denialist” by implying that I question both the reality of greenhouse-driven climate change and its severity:

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Credit

As I said, there’s no disagreement on the basics. It is on the severity question that his “zero room for debate” assertion fails.

Both rate questions (warming and sea level) have proved durably uncertain for decades, leading to a wide spread in views on the scope and speed of investments necessary for adequate adaptation and emissions mitigation. I hope he’ll have a look at this illustration and weigh in:

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An illustration showing that while the basics of global warming science are clear, the aspects of climate change most relevant to society remain deeply uncertain. The shallower the curve, the more uncertain the answer.Credit Andrew C. Revkin

“Zero room” captures the self-defeating arrogance and tone deafness that has characterized the American environmental community for decades.

It would be nice to see Laden focus more on topics that might actually help improve humanity’s relationship with the climate system (here’s one; here’s another; here’s another) instead of spending so much time attacking others pursuing that goal.

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By 2050 or so, the human population is expected to pass nine billion. Those billions will be seeking food, water and other resources on a planet where humans are already shaping climate and the web of life. Dot Earth was created by Andrew Revkin in October 2007 -- in part with support from a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship -- to explore ways to balance human needs and the planet's limits.